I'm so pleased my favorite scheme lasted the longest. I really wish that car could keep the green around the sign! (It's not actually a different scheme, the green around the sign is the remnant of a wrap. I still think it looks cool though)

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:So 3686 takes the prize as the very last original-paint unit left in service. Get your photos while you can.

Kudos to K-S for building such dependable cars, but I've refused to photograph rustbuckets like 3686 for the last few years. I have plenty of images of Type 7's in the original scheme before they developed those giant rust blotches, and I'd rather not remember that the MBTA allowed cars to run in such decrepit condition for so long.

With the testing line clearing fast, we're probably looking at 2 more departees in the next 7 days as "in-testing" and "prep-to-ship" cars rapidly trade places. Thus, the countdown to the final non-rebuilt 3600 revenue trip should hit the first week of October at current pace.

This brings up an interesting quirk in the timetable. Per the contract Alstom has a full calendar year to return 3700-series pilot car 3714, which departed Riverside for Hormel the final week of Oct. 2016. It's possible they may take a mini-pause during October to let Alstom flush out the 3600 rebuild line rather than maintaining an unbroken pace of 20 OOS cars @ Hormel by immediately picking up more 3700's after w/o 10/1. Could mean they start doing some prelim work on wreck rebuild 3609. Could mean the T takes the opportunity to clear out the dead line of all the other cars that are going to be scrapped for parts (they need to clear out some yard space anyway for when the first Type 9 pilot arrives in a few months). Could mean Riverside gets a built-in break on the testing line to free up bandwidth for fixing a few of the 8 OOS Bredas before winter hits. Any way you slice it the itinerary and pace could get revamped now that we're on the cusp of crossing the 3600-to-3700 pivot in the rebuild program.

Per the contract Alstom has a full calendar year to return 3700-series pilot car 3714, which departed Riverside for Hormel the final week of Oct. 2016. It's possible they may take a mini-pause during October to let Alstom flush out the 3600 rebuild line rather than maintaining an unbroken pace of 20 OOS cars @ Hormel by immediately picking up more 3700's after w/o 10/1.

Hormel is a meat packing company.Hornell in a city in New York where Alstom has a plant.

Per the contract Alstom has a full calendar year to return 3700-series pilot car 3714, which departed Riverside for Hormel the final week of Oct. 2016. It's possible they may take a mini-pause during October to let Alstom flush out the 3600 rebuild line rather than maintaining an unbroken pace of 20 OOS cars @ Hormel by immediately picking up more 3700's after w/o 10/1.

Hormel is a meat packing company.Hornell in a city in New York where Alstom has a plant.

3600 and 3655 are back in-service, and 3695 has entered testing. Since there are only 19 OOS cars in the program at-present, after 3694 leaves town on a flatbed there'll be a 20th Alstom slot to immediately fill by yanking another non-rebuild.

3687 has returned and is in testing. 3609 is now listed as being prepped to be shipped to Alstom, after finally getting its repairs. Also, NETransit now mentions that 3702, 3718, and 3711 or 3719A/3711B will be overhauled by Alstom.

We've passed the year mark since 3714 went to Alstom. While obviously not their top priority, they do have to get the pilot in testing before they can start grabbing the other 37's. So 3714 is either going to show up at Riverside very soon now that there's only 3 more 3600 non-rebuilds to exchange into the program, or there's going to be a little bit of a lull coming in November to flush the rebuild line with returnees before carting away more 37's. Since the Type 8 dead line hasn't budged all summer, maybe they're better off prioritizing loading up for winter with returnees.